The Black Hills

Travel Guide

The Black Hills

Active Pursuits in The Black Hills

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Aerial Tours -- If you want to see the Black Hills from above, contact Black Hills Balloons, P.O. Box 210, Custer, SD 57730 (tel. 605/673-2520; www.blackhillsballoons.com), which offers flights over the Black Hills, as well as Badlands National Park and Devils Tower National Monument, year-round.

Biking -- The Black Hills region has more than 6,000 miles of fire trails, logging roads, and other undeveloped roads, and it is becoming a top spot for mountain biking. Custer State Park is a prime spot for mountain biking -- most park trails and roads are open to bikers. (The Legion Lake Resort in Custer State Park rents mountain bikes.)

Fishing -- Rainbow trout are stocked at Horsethief Lake, below Mount Rushmore, where there is a Forest Service campground. Center and Stockade lakes in Custer State Park are also good fishing spots. Many streams, including Grizzly Bear Creek, behind Mount Rushmore, have good fishing for brook trout. You'll need a fishing license, available at sporting-goods stores and many convenience stores.

Snowmobiling -- The upper Black Hills have hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, and many guest ranches and resorts, such as Deadwood Gulch Resort, rent snowmobiles to their guests. You can get more information on trails and companies that rent snowmobiles from South Dakota Tourism.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.